Easy Ways to Better Sleeping During Pregnancy

7 Tips for Better Sleeping During Pregnancy

There are many discomforts that can keep from getting enough sleep while you’re pregnant. Try these 7 tips for better and more peaceful sleeping during pregnancy.

1. Take a Catnap

Try catnapping during the day to make up for missed sleep at night.

2. Go to Bed Earlier

You may crave time for yourself after a hectic day, but make yourself retire at least an hour earlier than usual. The energy payoff will be worth the lost reading or TV time.

3. Massage and Exercise Your Legs Before Bed

If leg cramps awaken you, try a before-bed massage and the leg-cramp exercises.

4. Sleep Upright

If indigestion or shortness of breath keeps you awake, try sleeping slightly upright, propped up on pillows.

5. Find a More Comfortable Position

Change sleeping positions whenever you are awakened by discomfort, especially if you experience pelvic pains from stretching of the uterus or pressure of the uterus on the pelvic nerves.

6. Soothe Your Skin

If itchy skin wakes you up, make sure you use soothing lotion to massage the sensitive spots before bed.

7. Relaxation Techniques for Better Sleeping During Pregnancy

To help yourself fall asleep, practice the relaxation techniques you are learning in childbirth class. Try visual imagery and imagine yourself floating in water, or swinging back and forth on a swing. Practicing relaxation techniques to get to sleep quickly will make it easier for you to relax when your labor begins. The ability to rest or sleep even momentarily between contractions is an important energy-saving aid during early labor.

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